Thursday, 13 September 2012

ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. As the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital provides a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.

The hospital is the designated statewide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation.Its campus partners are the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, which are based onsite with the hospital.The hospital is surrounded by the parkland of Royal Park, with views of trees and lots of natural light.

The hospital was established in 1870 and moved to its present site in Parkville on the corner of Flemington Road and Gatehouse Street in 1963. The Royal Children's Hospital was founded by Doctors John Singleton and William Smith, in response to their serious concerns about infant mortality in the fledgling city of Melbourne. The original "Free Hospital for Sick Children" was set up in a small house at 39 Stephen Street (now 49 Exhibition Street) and treated more than 1,000 children in its first year of operation.

In 2005, the Victorian State Government announced plans to build a brand new 334-bed home for RCH adjacent to the current site. The winning bid of the redevelopment is led by Babcock & Brown with architects Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart Architects. HKS Inc. Architects of Dallas, Texas provided Paediatric Design and Planning Services and consulting engineers Norman Disney & Young.

Work commenced on the site in late 2007, and was complete in late 2011, opened by the Queen on her Royal Tour. The current hospital will be demolished by 2014 after the transition to the new facility. Patients were moved into the new hospital in November 2011. After the move, much of the old site will be turned into a park, creating a new gateway to Royal Park.

I agree with Lesley and Wong!! What an awesome place and particularly for a hospital! I'm another one that just might look forward to going there!! Never seen any hospital come even close to this and Royal is the perfect name! Terrific captures, Nick!!

This is a marvelous place. I know it had to be costly to design and build, but hopefully it will last a long time - the design is gorgeous! If a child has to be in hospital, this would certainly help soften that blow!

My goodness Nick, hospitals have come a long way. I have never been inside the Royal Childrens Hospital. It is so colorful and vibrant. A fabulous insight. I have just returned from holidays in Byron Bay and am excited to be posting a photo a day from this wonderful part of our country over at my blog. Cheers J.